Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-gvh9x Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-21T15:50:04.629Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Three-way interaction effects of workaholism on employee well-being: Evidence from blue-collar workers in New Zealand

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 November 2013

Jarrod Haar*
Affiliation:
School of Management, College of Business, North Shore City, Auckland, New Zealand
Maree Roche*
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Waikato, New Zealand
*
Corresponding author: E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]
Corresponding author: E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]

Abstract

Workaholism is an important workplace phenomenon that has received less empirical testing than might be expected. This study of 100 New Zealand blue-collar workers tested whether three dimensions of the workaholism triad: work involvement, drive to work and work enjoyment were related to anxiety, depression and insomnia, and in the majority this was supported. Work involvement was positively related to all outcomes, while work enjoyment was negatively related. Drive to work was positively related to anxiety and insomnia only. Overall, consistently, large amounts of variance were explained by the workaholism triad. While previously untested in the literature, a three-way interaction of the workaholism triad was found towards anxiety and insomnia. Overall, higher work involvement was useful in buffering detrimental outcomes for those with either high work involvement or high drive to work, but not both. The present study provides a new way of understanding the effects of workaholism in the workplace.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Aiken, L. G., West, S. G. (1991). Multiple regression: Testing and interpreting interactions. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Axtell, C., Wall, T., Stride, C., Pepper, K., Clegg, C., Gardner, P., Bolden, R. (2002). Familiarity breeds content: The impact of exposure to change on employee openness and well-being. Journal of Occupational and Organisational Psychology, 75, 217231.Google Scholar
Aziz, S., Zickar, M. J. A. (2006). Cluster analysis investigation of workaholism as a syndrome. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 11(1), 5262.Google Scholar
Bonebright, C. A., Clay, D. L., Ankenman, R. D. (2000). The relationship of workaholism with work-life conflict, life satisfaction, and purpose in life. Journal of Counselling Psychology, 47(4), 469477.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burgess, Z., Burke, R. J., Oberklaid, F. (2006). Workaholism among Australian psychologists: Gender differences. Equal Opportunities International, 25(1), 4859.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burke, R. J. (1999). Workaholism among women managers: Work and life satisfaction and psychological well-being. Equal Opportunities International, 18(7), 2537.Google Scholar
Burke, R. J. (2000). Workaholism in organizations: Psychological and physical well-being consequences. Stress Medicine, 16(1), 1116.Google Scholar
Burke, R. J. (2001). Predictors of workaholism components and behaviours. International Journal of Stress Management, 8(2), 113127.Google Scholar
Burke, R. J., MacDermid, G. (1999). Are workaholics job satisfied and successful in their careers? Career Development International, 4(5), 277282.Google Scholar
Burke, R. J., Matthiesen, S. B., Pallesen, S. (2006). Workaholism, organisational life and well-being of Norwegian nursing staff. Career Development International, 11(5), 463477.Google Scholar
Cantarow, E. (1979). Women workaholics. Mother Jones, 6, 5658.Google Scholar
Cherrington, D. J. (1980). The Work Ethic. New York, NY: American Management Association.Google Scholar
Cropanzano, R., Slaughter, J. E., Bachiochi, P. D. (2005). Organisational justice and black applicants’ reactions to affirmative action. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90(6), 11681184.Google Scholar
Dawson, J. F., Richter, A. W. (2006). Probing three-way interactions in moderated multiple regression: Development and application of a slope difference test. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91(4), 917926.Google Scholar
Duffy, M. K., Shaw, J. D., Scott, K. L., Tepper, B. J. (2006). The moderating roles of self-esteem and neuroticism in the relationship between group and individual undermining behaviour. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91(5), 10661077.Google Scholar
Fassel, D. (1990). Working ourselves to death: The high costs of workaholism, the rewards of recovery. San Francisco, CA: HarperCollins.Google Scholar
Fedor, D. B., Caldwell, S., Herold, D. M. (2006). The effects of organisational changes on employee commitment: A multilevel investigation. Personnel Psychology, 59, 129.Google Scholar
Ferrie, J. E., Shipley, M. J., Marmot, M. G., Stansfield, S., Davey-Smith, G. (1998). The health effects of major organisational change and job insecurity. Social Science and Medicine, 46, 243254.Google Scholar
Garfield, C. A. (1987). Peak performers: The heroes of American business. New York, NY: William Morrow.Google Scholar
Greenberg, J. (2006). Losing sleep over organisational injustice: Attenuating insomniac reactions to underpayment inequity with supervisory training in interactional justice. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91(1), 5869.Google Scholar
Goetzel, R. Z., Long, S. R., Ozminkowski, R. J., Hawkins, K., Wang, S., Lynch, W. (2004). Health, absence, disability and presenteeism cost estimates of certain physical and mental health conditions affecting US employers. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 46(4), 398412.Google Scholar
Hakim, C. (2000). Work–lifestyle choices in the 21st century. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Harpaz, I., Snir, R. (2003). Workaholism: Its definition and nature. Human Relations, 56(3), 291319.Google Scholar
Johnson, E. O., Roehrs, T., Roth, T., Breslau, N. (1998). Epidemiology of alcohol and medication as aids to sleep in early adulthood. Sleep, 21, 178186.Google Scholar
Killinger, B. (1991). Workaholics: The respectable addicts. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.Google Scholar
Machlowitz, M. (1980). Workaholics: Living with them, working with them. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.Google Scholar
McMillan, L. H. W., Brady, E. C., O'Driscoll, M. P., Marsh, N. V. (2002). A multifaceted validation study of Spence and Robbins (1992) workaholism battery. Journal of Occupational and Organisational Psychology, 75, 357368.Google Scholar
McMillan, L. H. W., O'Driscoll, M. P. (2004). Workaholism and health: Implications for organisations. Journal of Organisational Change Management, 17(5), 509519.Google Scholar
McMillan, L. H. W., O'Driscoll, M. P., Marsh, N. V., Brady, E. C. (2001). Understanding workaholism: Data synthesis, theoretical critique, and future design strategies. International Journal of Stress Management, 8(2), 6991.Google Scholar
New Zealand Department of Labour (2011). Labour Market Update – July 2011. Wellington, New Zealand: Department of Labour.Google Scholar
Nunnally, J. C. (1978). Psychometric Theory. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.Google Scholar
O'Driscoll, M. P., Ilgen, D. R., Hildreth, K. (1992). Time devoted to job and off-job activities inter role conflict, and affective experiences. Journal of Applied Psychology, 77, 272279.Google Scholar
Perry-Jenkins, M., Repetti, R. L., Crouter, A. C. (2000). Work and family in the 1990s. Journal of Marriage and Family, 62, 981998.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Porter, G. (2001). Workaholic tendencies and the high potential for stress among co-workers. International Journal of Stress Management, 8(2), 147164.Google Scholar
Robinson, B. E. (1996). Concurrent validity of the work addiction and family functioning: Clinical implications for marriage and family therapists. Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 7(3), 1329.Google Scholar
Russo, J. A., Waters, L. E. (2006). Workaholic worker type differences in work-family conflict: The moderating role of supervisor support and flexible work scheduling. Career Development International, 11(5), 418439.Google Scholar
Ryan, T. P. (1997). Modern regression methods. New York, NY: Wiley.Google Scholar
Scott, K. S., Moore, K. S., Miceli, M. P. (1997). An exploration of the meaning and consequences of workaholism. Human Relations, 50, 287314.Google Scholar
Skarlicki, D. P., Folger, R. (1997). Retaliation in the workplace: The roles of distributive, procedural, and interactional justice. Journal of Applied Psychology, 82, 434443.Google Scholar
Snir, R., Harpaz, I. (2006). The workaholism phenomenon: A cross-national perspective. Career Development International, 11(5), 374393.Google Scholar
Sparks, K., Cooper, C., Fried, Y., Shirom, A. (1997). The effects of hours of work on health: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Occupational and Organisational Psychology, 70, 391408.Google Scholar
Spence, J. T., Robbins, A. S. (1992). Workaholism: Definition, measurement, and preliminary results. Journal of Personality Assessment, 58(1), 160178.Google Scholar
Statistics New Zealand (2008). Labour market statistics: 2007. Wellington, New Zealand: Statistics New Zealand.Google Scholar
Stoller, M. K. (1994). Economic effects of insomnia. Clinical Therapy, 16, 873897.Google Scholar
Zohar, D. (2006). On the vicissitudes of the study of workaholism: A construct at a crossroad. Career Development International, 11(5), 478482.Google Scholar